The benevolent banner., 1887-09-03


a following, otherwise it will run to
seed and wIther up, be of no benefit
to the race or to the persons possess
ing the superior capacity. An army
without a general is mob, at the
mercy Of any disciplined force that is
hurled against it; and disorganized,
leaderless race is nothing more than
a helpless, restless mob; and, on the
whole, the colored people of the
United States are substantially that
sort of thing, and have been since the
close of the war, at the mercy OF
schemers and unscrupulous self-seek
ers. This should not be allowed TO
continue.
SOME DIFFICULTIES AND DANGERS.
Already Lave persons, personally
and through correspondence, assured
me that such all organization as |
have proposed will meet with siren
uous opposition, and that bloodsbed
NAV follow in some instances in the
wake Of the work. | have no doubt
that this will be the case. All those
men who haye profted ty our disor-
ganization and fattened on our labor
by class and corporate legislation
will oppose the movement, and in the
intensity of their opposition, may re-
sort to the coward argument of vlo-
lence; but are we 10 remain forever
inactive, the victims of extOrtion and
duplicity on this account? Not bit
of it. We propose to accomplish our
purposes by the peaceful methods OF
agitation, through the ballot and the
courts, but if others use the weapons
of violence to combat our peaceful
arguments it is not for us to run
away from violence. A mans man,
and what is worth having is worth
fighting for. 1t is proudly claimed
that "the blood of the martyrs is the
seed of the church." Certainly the
blood of anti-slavery champions was
the seed of Garrison's doctrine Of
"the genius Of universal emancipa-
tion!" Certainly the blood of Irish
patriots has been the seed of Irish
! persistence and success; certainly the
blood of Negro patriots was the seed
of the independence of Hayti and san
Domingo: and in the Great Revolu-
ton Of our own country, the corner
stones Of American freedom were
cemented with the blood of patriots
who were not afraid to die; and the
refrain will reverberate down the
ages
| Long as in freedoms cause the wise contend,
Dea to yOrr country Shall your fame extend; /;
| While to the world the lettered S one shalltell
Where Ca dwell, Attucks, 6 ay and Maverick
| fell,
Attucks, the black patriot-he was
no coward! Toussaint L'Ouverture
he was no coward! Nat. Turner
he was no coward! And the two
| hundred thousand black soldiers OF
the last war-they were no towards.
If we have a work to do, let us do it.
And if there come violence, let those
who oppose our just cause, "throw
the first stone.' We have wealth,
we have intelligence. we have cour-
age: and we haYe great work to do.
We should therefore take hold of 1t
like men, not counting our time and
means and lives as of any consequence
further than they contribute to the
grand purposes which call us to the
work, Whenever there are gathered
together ten colored men anywhere
III this country, let them resolve them
selves into a branch of the Afro
American League, and elect a set oi
the best men in it as officers, the same
As is done in any other social OIL
church society. Let the work begin
at once. Let US prepare for the Ma
J tional meeting of the League within
as short time in the future az will bt
consistent with a decent representa-
ton, to draft laws for the manage
ment of the League and its branches
r Let every man of us feel that 1t is hi
! peculiar business to take hold of thl
: work Of preliminary organization
/. and to impress the importance of
4 upon his friends and neighbors. lie
e each man and woman take hold an
! do his duty and the results will spea
0 for themselves. Yours for absolut
E right. /. THOMAS FORTUNE.
r New York, June ?, 1897.
r Editor Fortunes sentiments, give
G above from The Ne1r York Freeman